1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods of printing files from a computer, and in particular, it relates to methods of printing multiple files as a single print job.
2. Description of Related Art
Many existing PDF (Portable Document Format) viewer application software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader only allow users to print one PDF file at a time using a printer driver even though there may be more than one PDF file currently open in the PDF viewer application. Similarly, applications such as MS Word only allow the user to print one open file at a time.
Methods for assembling and printing compounded multiple documents have been described. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,540 describes a“system for assembling the various pieces of a complex document that may be created in different formats and/or by different document generating application programs, while preserving the integrity of those individual file formats, and printing the fully assembled complex document.” (U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,540, Abstract.) This method involves“(1) arranging individual document files created by different document generating application programs . . . in the order that they will appear in the compound document and then (2) launching the corresponding document generating application program to print each file in the arranged order and thereby print the compound document.” (Id.) U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. 2006/0268325 describes a printer having a PDF batch file direct print function. U.S. Pat. Appl. Pub. 20070041031 describes a print managing method that manages a plurality of files created by at least one application program as one print unit, and sets usage restriction information to the print unit.
Some existing application programs allow the user to select multiple files from a file directory to print as one print job. For example, in the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer program, when the user choose a print function, a Photo Printing Wizard appears, which displays a thumbnail of each photo in the current directory, and allows the user to choose multiple photos to print.